Why the Golden Gate Hotel and Casino on Fremont St. closed for 5 days in December

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The oldest hotel in Las Vegas closed right before a holiday celebration on Saturday.

Golden Gate Hotel & Casino closed on Monday and is said to open on Saturday, Dec. 23. The temporary closure is for a carpet replacement, officials say.

"The Golden Gate opened in 1906, and sometimes it needs some tender love and care," said owner Derek Stevens in a social media post.

When the property reopens Saturday, officials said there will be a party and "return of Santa's helper" contest.

According to a media release, those who dress their best in holiday attire will receive free drinks from BarProhibition from 6 to 8 p.m. Later on in the evening, gaming patrons will also be able to vote in the property’s annual Santa’s Helper contest.

Officials say the events are free, and no reservations are required.

More on Santa's Helper contest from Golden Gate:

Gaming patrons will be able to earn holiday tokens to vote in the Santa’s Helper contest from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. One lucky lady will be picked as Santa’s Helper for 2023, with guests of Golden Gate submitting votes for each contestant with holiday tokens to win prizes. Contestants earning the top three highest amounts of holiday tokens will split the prize pool as follows, for first place $1,500, for second place $800, for third place $500 and for last place $200. Gaming players can earn holiday tokens to vote for their favorite participant by:

One non-valued token for every $50 buy-in at table games.

One non-valued token for all players at the table who have a minimum $25 wager any time a blackjack is dealt, including a dealer’s blackjack. Maximum of one token per person for the hand. Does not include split hands.